By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine Navy (PN) is planning to acquire two more anti-submarine platforms to help boost its anti-submarine capabilities.
“We have submitted proposals for two more corvettes, I believe, or two more frigates,” PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Trinidad cited the need for more modern naval assets for the Philippines amid mounting security threats.
“That need has been noticed by the PN years ago. That’s why in our Re-Horizon 3 (of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program) that already includes more corvettes, more ships, and other anti-submarine warfare capabilities,” he said.
A Russian diesel-electric submarine was spotted off the waters of Mindoro Occidental in the West Philippine Sea on Nov. 28, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. described as “very concerning”.
Currently, Trinidad said the PN has two missile frigates—the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151)—which are also capable of anti-submarine warfare.
Two guided missile corvettes along with six offshore patrol vessels are currently under construction by South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries while two additional landing docks are being constructed by Indonesian shipyard PT PAL.
Trinidad also said the PN is planning to develop the capability to detect submerged submarine contacts within the Philippines’ sea lines of communication.
“The broad program is to develop the AFP’s capability for undersea warfare. Undersea warfare is a complex mix of different capabilities, details of which I could not divulge yet. But we leave it up to the Department of National Defense what particular capability for undersea warfare we would prioritize,” Trinidad said.
He also admitted that the PN at the moment has “modest capabilities to detect underwater threats.”
“Our underwater, undersea warfare capability is still modest. It is still (an) ongoing development. We have that modest capability but we have greater capabilities to track surface assets, surface targets,” Trinidad added.
